The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1887-08-17
SHOT TO pEATH IN UTAH.
A Legal Execution Near Salt Lake
CITY,

SALT LAKE, UTAH. August il.-Frederick
Hopt, alias g Welcome, was shot to death
in the yard of they penitentiary four miles
from this city to-day. The firing party con-
sisted of live men with rifles. Dr- Hamilton
pinned a rosette over Hopt's heart. told him
TO be firm and look straight at the guns and
death would quickly come. He would not
be mutilated, but would be if he tiinched.
The condemned man showed the Utmost
firmnesS, and said he forgave everybody, bat
if he had got a fair show in the first trial he
would not be here to-day. He came out of
his cell smoking cigar and kept il in his
mouth to the last. He posed for photo
graph. He was seated on chair upon a
blanket sat up straight and firm. Marshall
Dyer gave the word Ready. fire The
crack of five rifles rang out as one. and the
rigid body of the dead man retained its pose,
the body falling forward and the chair fall
ing over backwards aud his stiff limbs rest
ing on the rung as when he SAT upright.
Two bullets pierced the small rosette pinned
over his heart, one little above the other,
little below the centre. Death was instan-
taneous.
The case is one of great celebrity in Utah
and Wyoming for its atrocious circumstan-
City, Utah, on the night of July 3, 1850, the
victim being John +. Turner, son of John
W Turner, sheriff of Utah county. He had
started out with two teams and met HopJ,
who had been in Jail in Provo, the county
seat of Utah county, for drunkeness and
horse stealing. He engaged Hopt to help TO
drive a team. They camped together and
were joined later by Jack Emerson.
The deed was committed about 10 in the
evening with an axe. The next day Hopt
/ and Emerson started with the teams, trading
/ Off the grain in the wagons for whiskey and
Z provisions, with the dead body in the bottom
under the sacks of grain That night Hopt
covered the body with rocks and brush and
! tried to burn it, The teams were turned
eastward and one was sold by Hopt at Pied
mont and the other at Green River Hop,
| took the money. and had gay time with
/ whiskey and women at Cheyenne, until Sher
/ iff Turner. the father of the murdered man.
caught up with him and identified him. In
+ the meantime the body had been found and
identified.
On the way from Cheyenne, at Green Riv-
/ er and at Echo, attempts were made to lynch
/ Hopt. but he was protected by Sheriff Tur-
ner father of the victim, who had Hopt in
custody.
The first trial. February l6 1851, he was
j, convicted, but the United States supreme
court ordered Il new trail, because the judges
instructions were not reduced to writing. a.
required by the law. The second conviction
March 8. 1883, was reversed on account of
Judge Hunters errors. The third trial
April %, resulted in conviction, another ap-
peal and the United States supreme court
again reversed and ordered new trial be
cause the record did not contain the charge
of Judge Hunter Pending this appeal the
territorial judge refused to grant a stay of
execution and Hopt was about to be shot To
death in spite Of his appeal, when Acting
Governor Thomas granted a respite The
fourth trial was held before Judge Crane
September q to 2s, 1855, and resulted in a
conviction. appeals as before and judgement
affirmed Remittiture reached the Third
district court here June n 1887. and on
June "a the court reset the time for execu-
tion on August IL. Hopt having been given
his choice between hanging and shooting. as
the law of Utah provides, chose TO be shot TO
death, and this final scene came of the tedi-
Ous case.